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Celestial Church of Christ

Monthly Archives: July 2016

​Today’s Devotional

MINISTRY: Emancipation Word Outreach

DATE: Sunday, 31st July, 2016

THEME: ENGAGING ANGELIC MINISTRY

AUTHOR: Rev’d Israel A. Adegbite
TEXT: Hebrews 1:7 “And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire”.
The angels are the fire brand spirits who were created by God for His services. They are commissioned to minister to God and for the saints. Angels are the invisible and invincible hosts of heaven. They can fly, walk, speak, reason, appear and disappear. Angels are without gender; they are swift and exceed in strength. They are subject to only godly values. Angels are ordely; have hierarchical categories; and precised in assignments. As well, angels excel above Satan, demons and familiar spirits. Majority of men of worth in the Bible had some tangible encounters with the angels. Hear this in Heb 1:14 “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?”. See some of the vivid angelic functions as follow: 1. They serve God; Worship Him; Enforce His Pleasure, Desire and Authority 2. Victory (Hezekiah) 3. Freedom (Peter) 4. Rescue (Daniel) 5. Good Tidings (Mary) 6. Comfort (Jesus) 7. Protection (Elisha) 8. Obstruct Foes (Balaam) 9. Provisions (Elijah) Leadings and Guide (The Exodus) 10. Wreck Vengeance (Egyptians Firstborns) 11. Revelation (John at Patmos Island) 12. Secure Properties (Garden of Eden) 13. Escape Destruction (Lot & family) 14. Divine Promises Fulfillment (Abraham) 15. Can Punish (Zechariah) 16. Can Bless (Jacob) 17. Defensive Edge (Job) 18. Absolute Triumph (David) 19. Can Kill (Herod) 20. Can Empower (Gideon) 21. Search out the Right Spouse (Rebecca) 22. Will harvest the earth (Rapture); etc. All saints dwell in the company of specifically assigned angels. These spirits are ministers; not to be worshipped nor prayed to. Unbelief, Filthiness, disobedience, degeneration and carelessness put angels off. Angels are very dangerous to those with loose mouth. Listen to this in Eccl 5:6 “Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?”. Of course, angels are always at your service. Any defeat suffered is your own fault. I pray: You’ll not miss angelic encounter. You’ll recognize angelic interventions and operations. May you benefficially engage your angels. May God cause His angels to bear you up in their hands. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

AUTHOR: Rev’d Israel A. Adegbite
TEXT: Ephesians 1:11 “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will”.
Divine purpose is the pleasure and agenda of God for everything in His creation. It is worthy of note that nothing in existence is a blatant coincidence. No man, among other things in nature is a biological accident. All is made by God; all is in God; all is through God; all is under God; and all is from God. The ultimate purpose of all things in creation is for God’s pleasure and to His glory. Nothing functions optimally anyway outside divine purpose. Car doesn’t fly; fish can’t survive on land; boat doesn’t ply road; etc; no, they are not designed for such. Everyone’s purpose is unique and peculiar just as individual’s fingerprint and iris. Therefore it is not a gainsay to say that every animal and vegetation is a special specie; a customized built; useful in a special manner. Hear this in Deut 14:2 “For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God, and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth”. That is more so the reason no man can excel pursuing another man’s dream or purpose. Nothing makes a man uniquely, and outstandingly great, outside following his innate mandate, and answering his divine call. Only a purposed driven somebody can amount to a fulfilled one. Therefore, identifying personal purpose and gunning for realization develops a meaningful life. Only a train that maintains track arrives at destination. Necessity demands serious inquiry into these issues: 1. What Should I Do? 2. How Should I Do It? 3. When Should I Do It? 4. Where Should I Do It? The solution is in hearing and listening to the useful advice of Mary in John 2:5 “……. Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it”. Success is realized in the tenacious performance of individual’s tangible purpose. As well, always engage the Word and the Holy Spirit. I fervently pray: You’ll not loose your godly focus. You’ll not miss your destiny earmarks. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

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AUTHOR: Rev’d Israel A. Adegbite
TEXT: Deut 2:24 “Rise ye up, take your journey, and pass over the river Arnon: behold, I have given into thine hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land: begin to possess it, and contend with him in battle”.
Contending to occupy means battling to possess rightful possessions. No champion emerges avoiding challenges. No one triumph without scaling some trials. No man breakthrough by not forcing way through opposing barriers. Accessing destiny fulfillment is practically impossible with passive, idle, foolish and fearful disposition. Invariably, it takes a lion heart to take the lion share. Those who run from battlefield will return only to fight again. Becoming the Battle Axe of God is necessary because the world is a war zone. Fight, so that adversaries may not overwhelmingly takeover the great and effectual doors of glory destined for you. The bone of this fierce contention is your innate glory. It is essentially a spiritual struggle anyway. Your appropriate arsenal should therefore be spiritual. You may effectually contend with these tools: 1. By engaging the appropriate scriptures sword 2. By fervent prayers and fasting 3. By the application of blood of Jesus 4. By putting up confidence and boldness 5. By the hand of an anointed deliverance minister 6. By putting on the whole armour of God 7. By invoking the power of divine knowledge 8. By the Holy Ghost endowments and power 9. By agreement 10. By living godly life 11. By connecting the angelic intervention 12. By the High Praise of God; 13. By sharing testimony 14. By Commitment to Covenant Demands 15. By meekness and humility; etc. Rejoice in this good news in Isaiah 49:25 “But thus saith the Lord , Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children”. Moses fought Satan to standstill by Michael’s intervention. Join him by shouting down the contenders as in Jude 1:9 “…. The Lord rebuke thee”. I see you victorious; for you are more than the conquerors. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

AUTHOR: Rev’d Israel A. Adegbite
TEXT: 1 Peter 5:7 “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you”.
Anxiety is a symptom of inadequacy, insufficiency, unfulfilled, and hopelessness. It is an indication of lack of trust in God. Being anxious is an emotional expression of fearfulness and concerns for the unknown and the future. Anxiety is inevitably an offspring of Impatience, Disobedience, Rats Race, Disorderliness, Disorganization and Frustration. It can be likened to paying an interest on a loan you never collected. Anxiety muddles up and complicate conditions and situations. It helplessly generates Heaviness Disposition, and Sorrowful Countenance. Jesus sternly warned us against being too anxious. Hear the Lord in Luke 12:22 “And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?”. Identifying an anxious man is not farfetched: He Looks Morose; He is without Cheerfulness and Enthusiasm; He Sighs often; Complains always; Ever Dissatisfied; Wears Dull face; Unduly Angry; Depressed; Jealous a lot; Have Violence Tendency; Hypertensive; Restless; Feels Insecure; etc. Anxiety is an ordinary man’s nature that can only be checkmated by Unflinching Faith and Absolute Reliance on the Faithfulness of God; by Elastic Endurance; by Prayers and Supplications; by Standing upon Divine Promises; by Surrendering Leadership to the Comforting Mandate of the Holy Spirit; by Subjecting Oneself to the Wise and Encouraging Counseling; by the Careful Choice of Companions; by Maintaining the Joy of Salvation; by Not being Over Ambitious; by Taking on Issues Step by Step; by Being Hopeful; by Transforming Idle Wishes into Tangible Actions; by Counting your Blessings Gratefully; etc. I admonish you in Phil 4:6 “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God”. Let me conclude this writeup by asking you to vehemently declare Phil 4:13 to yourself: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me”. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

AUTHOR: Rev’d Israel A. Adegbite
TEXT: Genesis 27:22 “And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau”.
A voice is the spoken-out distinct sound or language, reasonable for communication. Some voices may be similar, but each man’s voice is peculiar. There are voices, and there are voices. Millions of voices clamouring to be heard in conversation and on the media; but only a very few voices are Audible, Referenced, Acknowledgeable, Pronounceable, Quotable, Respectable and commendable. For a voice to be counted among the relevant, some unique factors and attributes must have been observed. Hence, senseless talks can only be a wasted effort. It is evident that notable voices, the world over, have these following traits in common: 1. Spoken from abundant reservoir of updated knowledge 2. Emanate from applicable pool of adequate wisdom 3. Subtle (a times bellowed) and authoritative 4. Aligning with the logos and Rhema of God; and led by the Holy Spirit 5. Spoken from elevated and vantage position 6. Promoted by substantial substances, and echoed by supporters 7. Empowered by the anointing 8. Spoken from wealth of encounters and experiences 9. Aided by popularity and acceptability 10. Usually tenacious and focused 11. Timely and appropriate 12. Few and meaningful 13. Words of integrity 14. The tune and tone must correlate 15. Borne of very strong conviction; 16. Spoken with confidence and boldness 17. Carefully worded and expressed 18. Effectively convey feelings and mindset; etc. A man without a voice is an obscured living corps; who may never be celebrated. Closed mouth may mean closed destiny in some cases. Voicelessness or dumbness is in no doubt a torment. Relationship is realized by voices. Wars are won by voices. Listen to Exo 19:19 “And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice”. As you open your mouth, you will emit appropriate word. By your mouth you shall be justified and not condemned. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

AUTHOR: Rev’d Israel A. Adegbite
TEXT: Isaiah 55:8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord”.
The Almighty Jehovah is a sovereign God. He is the all-sufficient One that doesn’t need anyone’s help to functioning. He can do. He can undo. His divine will can’t be thwarted. Only Him can alter is own word and intention to fulfill is own desire. God is vividly not democratic; so He doesn’t perform alongside popular opinions. God has the sole responsibility for His faultless moves and actions. He can raise up; and raze down. No wonder in the Lord’s Prayer, it is said: “Let thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. See these Bible examples of God’s incomprehensibility: Jesus was unprecedentedly conceived by a virgin; Uzza the priest was lost to trying to help the ark from stumbling; Solomon, born of an adulterous relationship reigned after David; Rahab the harlot became an ancestral of Jesus; Jacob was favoured, and Esau was hated even before birth; Judas perished in spite of repentance, whereas Peter was not only prayed for and forgiven for denying Jesus; he was promoted to lead the Apostles; Saul the persecutor became Paul the great evangelist; Moses didn’t make the promised land cause he was angrily jealous for God; Jehoshaphat won a war by raising praise orchestra; Gideon subdued the Medianites by only 300 of raised 12,000 soldiers; A woman was about to be lynched, the sought Jesus opinion; he replied saying only him who had never sinned should cast the first stone; etc. God’s judgement is far from human reasonings. Now, hear how Gamaliel warned the Sanhedrin of wrong judgement in Acts 5:38-39. The judgement of man is often perversive and systematically selfish. It is only God that can really judge infallibly right. The day man’s views are perceived through the spectacles of God is the day man starts to know orderliness and peace. This spectacle is essentially LOVE. The compulsion to curse and avenge foes is prominent in man; but this may not always originate from God. Hear what the incomprehensible Jesus pronounced paradoxically in Matt 5:44-45 “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust”. Indeed God’s way is different from man’s. God is forever stable; but indeed not comprehensible. May you be able to abide by the supposedly minority and unpopular will and intention of the Most High. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

AUTHOR: Rev’d Israel A. Adegbite
TEXT: Deuteronomy 34:7 “And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated”.
Infirmity is a state of physical or (and) mind wound, deterioration and affliction. It is a harbinger of untimely death if not timely checkmated. Meanwhile, sound health is a prominent factor of longevity. Health is not only wealth; as well it fosters life purpose fulfillment. However, either of the quattro of curse, disobedience, diabolic, or carelessness may inflict diseases. Hear the will of God for His saints in 3 John 2 “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth”. It is unquestionable that Jesus is the greatest healer who desires man’s wellbeing. There is no plague He cannot heal if faith is adequate. The medics care; but only God cures. They treat; but only God heals. Thank God for modern tangible medical breakthroughs; but medical limitations still very much exist because most health challenges are essentially spiritual. Some Bible examples of this were the woman with the issue of blood, Leprous Gehazi, Barren Michal, King Hezekiah, the Lame at the Beautiful Gate, etc. Jesus is the only Dr. who does not refer or defer patient. He has no specific consulting room. He also has no provision for morgue. He heals without drugs and bills. The unethical Dr. Jesus healing tools are: 1. His Word. (Psa 107:20) 2. Anointing oil (Mark 6:13; James 5:14) 3. His Touch (Mark 16:18) 4. By Holy Spirit anointing (Isa 10:27) 5. By the hand lay of His anointed men (Acts 5:15) (Mark 16:17-18) 6. By Fasting & Prayers (Matt 17:21) 7. By Giving to the Poor (Psa 41:1-3) 8. By Kingdom Services (Exo 23:25) 9. By Good Countenance, Cheerfulness, Enthusiasm & Merry Heart (Prov 17:22) 10. Acknowledging God (Prov 6:3-8) 11. Pleasant Words (Prov 16:24) 12. By embracing Good Food; Good Habits; Good Exercises; and of course Good Rest. I admonish you holistically practice the covenant demands governing enduring sound health. Jeremiah 33:6 is for a believer: “Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth”. I declare this is for you in the name of Jesus. Amen.